Exercise Cooperative Determination 

   5-16 November 2001

     Baku, Azerbaijan

  6 November  01                     Press Conference

 

Col. Jafarov's Remarks


 

Colonel Eyvaz Jafarov, Chief of Operations- First Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

 

Today this is the first time that on the territory of Republic of Azerbaijan is conducting multi-national peace support command post exercise "Cooperative Determination-01" in frame of NATO Partnership for Peace Program.

The aim of the Exercise is to enhance military interoperability for peace support operations and humanitarian assistance operations at the multinational brigade level.

During the preparatory stage of this exercise there were three conferences in Baku. The main planing conference however was held in the city of Crems, Austria. 9 NATO members States and 9 partner nations, also 4 NATO Staffs , United Nations Organization and International Red Cross Organization are participating in this Exercise. More than 100 military personnel from Azerbaijan are involved in this Event. Thirty-six of them are direct participants of the Exercise.

As you know since May 1994 Azerbaijan has joined the NATO PfP Program, and until now, it has been actively taking part at this Program. I would like to note that Azerbaijan is one of the most actively participating nations among of the PfP Partner States. And as result this, yesterday we started Exercise Cooperative Determination in Azerbaijan. And this is occurring for the first time in the former-soviet area. I would like to note one more important point that as a result of Azerbaijan’s efficient activity in the PfP Program one platoon of Azerbaijan Armed Forces has been successfully participating in the peacekeeping operations in Kosovo.

The present NATO Command and Control Exercise is being conducted at the Training and Education Center of Azerbaijan Armed Forces. This facility is used for training personnel for the Land Forces. And since October 2001 the facility has being used for its assigned functions and tasks.

I am strongly convinced that representatives of Azerbaijan Armed Forces will improve their skills and experience during this Exercise, and that this experience will positively affect the further development of the Azerbaijan-NATO relations.

Our aim is conduct the Exercise at the highest standards and by doing so, demonstrate to the world community Azerbaijan’s desire for peace, wellbeing, and mutual understanding. Azerbaijan is strengthening of the Peace.

I would like to bring to attention of the media representatives that the plans for this multinational, peace support, Command-Post exercise "Cooperative Determination-01" in Azerbaijan had been made far earlier and that this exercise has nothing to do with the current world events.

Thanks for your attention.


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